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The Psychological and Health Risks of Tattoos Chris Provost Molly Goodson ENG 101 September 26, 2010

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What is the first thing people notice when they look at some one? Is it their eyes? Or maybe it is their clothes? There is always something that catches their eye when they look at them, no matter what it is. For some people, the first thing that is noticed about others is the extra markings that they carry. These markings, or tattoos, have a special meaning to the people who carry them. Tattoos are the way that people express themselves or show something that is important to them. Many people believe that the art of tattooing may carry some very dangerous risks, from psychological issues to unruly diseases. Although the psychological aspects of tattoos far outweigh the health risks associated with them, tattoos are a beautiful and creative art form. The art of tattooing has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. The actual date that the practice began is not known; but archeological discoveries show that tattoos were widely practiced as far back as the Neolithic period. Tattooing in our society dates back to the 1800s when Native Americans would tattoo markings on their bodies to indicate what tribe they belong to or to indicate tribal or marital status. (Silberman, 2010) Later records of tattoos show that seamen adorned tattoos when they returned home from exploration, branding them as sailors. This practice spread throughout the other branches of military as well as the upper class of society very quickly since they traveled to distant lands. No longer seen as taboo, tattooing became exotic and beautiful as more and more people of all social standings began getting inked. Today, the reasons for tattooing range from the insignificant everyone else is doing it to artistic expression to spiritual and religious beliefs. Reasons for people deciding to put a permanent picture or symbol on their bodies have somewhat changed from what we find in the history of tattooing. Tattooing used to stand for a rite of passage or marital status. There were definite and purposeful reasons to get markings.

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Today getting a tattoo may or may not be as meaningful as it once was in history. People get tattoos for many reasons. People who have decided to get something permanently imprinted somewhere on their body fall in at least one of these categories: they are part of a military group, to honor or in remembrance of loved ones (such as children or deceased parents or sibling), or religious or spiritual belief, artistic expression, or even rebellion. Recent trends for tattoos have made a strong push towards inking ones favorite sports team on his or her body to show loyalty and devotion to the team, whether win or lose. According to Maureen Mercury, author of Pagan Fleshworks: The Alchemy of Body Modification, people get tattoos as a badge to permanently mark specific experiences so they may remember it for the rest of their lives. Whatever the reason, tattooing has become a natural way to express ones personality and beliefs. Although tattoos are more accepted in todays society, there was a time when tattoos were frowned upon and society put the people who had a tattoo in a class of their own. They were labeled as rebels or as being part of a fringe group, such as bikers or gangs; tattoos showed their loyalty and gave them a sense of acceptance among their peers. Today tattoos are growing at a fast rate: there are an estimated 20,000 + tattoo parlors operating in the U.S. (according to a News World and Report article). Even though tattoos are more socially accepted, there is still the issue of the acceptance of tattoos in the professional realm. In the work place, for example, depending on where or what the tattoo is, body markings may pose an issue for the employer. There are challenging questions that tattoos raise or impose. When someone with tattoos goes for a job interview the employer forms an opinion on the one being interviewed without getting a chance to know them. The employer may ask himself questions such as Is this person really professional? or How will my customers react to this person? According to the New York

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Times, prospective employers reactions to tattoos are not positive and people with tattoos will have a better chance at getting hired if they hide their tattoos until they find out the companys policy on them. Since tattoos involve needles and blood, they carry several health risks, for example, Syphilis, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis and possibly HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been no documented case of HIV being contracted from getting a tattoo, though the risk is still potentially there. (Wilson, 2000). However, using non-sterile tattoo equipment can and has lead to diseases such as syphilis and Hepatitis B. Even though the tattooist is required to use sterile practices, there are many places who do not abide by these laws, creating a potentially deadly environment. Thousands of people each year enter a tattoo parlor to get inked for whatever reason and end up fighting a disease or potentially fighting for their lives. Health risks during the tattooing process are not the only dangers in having these permanent markings. Health risks are still great after getting inked because of the aftercare that must be taken to prevent infection. When a person gets a tattoo, he may not be diligent in caring for it as his skin heals and this may cause infection and worse. That is why it is very important to know the health risks involved with tattooing before making this vital decision. There can also be allergic reactions to the tattoo dye that can cause a rash. This reaction could happen even years after you have the tattoo. As with everything there are pros and cons to getting tattoos. With proper care tattoos can be a thing of beauty. There are several ways to care for a tattoo. It is suggested by many tattoo artists to keep a bandage on the tattoo for at least twenty four hours, this is to keep the open wound protected from foreign objects and air borne diseases. A triple antibiotic moisturizer should be applied several times a day to prevent the ink from the tattoo from drying out as well

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as fight off any possible infections. A tattoo should heal in about two weeks, picking at the scabs could cause an increase of infection and could damage the design and cause scaring. If all steps provided by the tattoo artist are followed and there is a sign of infection or the tattoo is not healing properly, it is highly recommended that the person immediately contact a doctor or the tattoo artist that applied the tattoo. Along with all the emotional, physical, and social elements that come with having a tattoo, for some people there comes the psychological aspect of regret. Getting a tattoo may have seemed like a good idea to them at the time, but when reality set in years down the road, some may realize they made a mistake. Whether it was someones name or a significant symbol or it was something to do because everybody else was doing it -- or maybe that cute butterfly or that awesome tribal tattoo you got when you were in your heydayit may be now that circumstances cause one to regret having made a permanent marking on his body. Any circumstance from trying to be hired for that dream job to wanting to wear the perfect wedding dress on that special day, may cause one to regret getting inked. Even though there are procedures to remove a tattoo with an ex-girlfriends name, for example, the process is costly and can leave unsightly scarring. Not only is the process of tattoo removal costly and time-consuming, it is painful and carries with it its own psychological and physical risks. After evaluating all of the aspects of tattoos, we come to the conclusion that there are not any psychological effects of tattoos on a persons well being. However, people with tattoos have more regret than people who do not. After looking at the history of tattoos, health risks, why people get them, social acceptance, and removal, we see that when a person is considering a tattoo, he should take into consideration all of the pros and cons of getting a life-changing modification to his body. From personal experience, tattoos have not affected my life nor have I

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had any regrets from having them as of yet. So, before you walk into a tattoo parlor, get ready to get rid of the old you and make sure you prepare yourself to come out with the new, and improved, you.

REFERENCES Silberman, Jack (2010). The Vanishing Tattoo. Retrieved September 5, 2010 from http://www.vanishingtattoo.com. http://www.tattooartist.com/health.html. Retrieved September 5, 2010. www.r-go./ca/tattoo.htm. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Ramachandran, Nisha. (2005). Tattoos are Showing Up All Over U.S. News and World Report.
Mercury, Maureen. Pagan Fleshworks: The Alchemy of Body Modification. Park Street Press, 2000.

When Tattoos Hurt Job Prospects

April 1, 2009, 12:00 pm http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/when-tattoos-hurt-jobprospects/

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